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Learn all about Carol Hurst, LVT, CVPM as she goes through her journey in veterinary medicine. Change Leader | VetSupport Consultant | Vet Practice Management SuperheroWed, 05 Sep 2018 19:23:18 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8WisePaws/PyNohttps://feedburner.google.comDog Bath-Timehttp://WisePaws.com/734/dog-bath-time/
http://WisePaws.com/734/dog-bath-time/#respondTue, 19 Jan 2016 00:15:42 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=734Continue reading Dog Bath-Time]]>I’ve bathed hundreds of dogs in my life. This includes not only those from my clinic, but also routine bathing of my own dogs. From the lips of others, I’ve heard a variety of tales about this mythical event referenced as dog bath-time. Most are stories of horror about wet dogs trampling through the house and leaving soggy footprints on couch and bed alike. Some are whispered fervently behind a raised hand – dogs so wiggly that their owners must don rain-slickers or else they come away from the whole event sad and soaked.

All joking aside, most people look forward to their dog’s bath-time with a mix of dread and annoyance. I can’t promise that your dog will love their baths after reading this article (my 9 year old still only tolerates them), but I can promise that both of you will come out the other side clean and dry – relationship intact.

Acclimation

Positive reinforcement through treats and other forms of praise can help your dog get acclimated if they have an aversion to the tub. Try not to make it a large production. If you have to chase your dog around the house, you’re doing it wrong. If all else fails, have them come to you and sit, treat them and then pick them up and carry them manually to your tub. Too large? Slip their leash over their head and lead them calmly. After over a year of training with Masi, he is still hit or miss whether or not he will follow me to the bathroom.

Location

Most people bathe their dogs in the bathtub. The first house we were in did not have a detachable spraying showerhead. After getting one in this house, I’ve found that it is a deal breaker for further bathing adventures. There is no comparison with efficiency between a hand held sprayer and a large cup full of water.

Smaller dogs can be placed into the kitchen sink as long as they don’t try to jump out. Sometimes the elevation can help inspire them to be less wiggly. Also make sure to disinfect your sink thoroughly afterwards.

My Setup

This is the most exciting part for me. Having two large male dogs means that having an efficient bathing procedure is important. I feel like I’ve finally got all of the right tools to make my own dog bath-times successful.

Three towels – One for the floor, one for each dog. I make sure that I get a super-absorbent/plush one for Enzo. His hair is like a sponge.

Shampoo – There are so many out there! I like to stick with ones that have very subtle scents. I don’t mind commenting on individual shampoo questions, but to keep it simple, I’ll just list the ones that I love the best.

Hylyt from Bayer: This is my hands-down favorite. Not only is Bayer a well-known company but they really struck a gold mind with this shampoo. The smell is a subtle Hawaiian (though it doesn’t have an advertised name – this is just my description). It isn’t perfume-y or strong. It is soap-free and Soap-free just means that it isn’t as irritating to the eyes/skin as other shampoos with soap can be. Emollients help to moisturize the skin. Overall, it is a good balance and their coats gleam after I bathe them with it. They’ve also added fatty acids to help “replenish” the epidermal barrier.

Avenalyt from Bayer: This is another routine cleansing shampoo. Similar to Hylyt, the differences are that it isn’t soap-free and it is an aloe and oatmeal base. Labeled for dogs with itchy/dry or normal skin. The scent is more citrus than anything. I’ve been told that more people think that their dogs smell cleaner longer with this than Hylyt. In my experience of bathing my dogs, I’ve found the opposite was true. I wasn’t impressed with the scent and they always smell cleaner longer with Hylyt. Just my opinion.

Allergroom from Virbac: Virbac is another solid company that produces quality products. Allergroom is soap-free and has emollients added. It has a more subtle scent than Avenalyt, still citrusy. Probably my least favorite of the three, but still a solid shampoo. Our groomer used this in the past when Hylyt was unavailable.

Relief/Relief HC from Bayer: Relief is labeled for “rapid relief of itching and flaking,” and has 1% pramoxine and 1% hydrocortisone (the HC version only). It is also soap-free with Omega 6 fatty acids added and oatmeal based. It’s a powerhouse for sensitive/itchy skin. It has a mild, sweet scent. I’ve found that though it does provide some relief for itching, that the effects don’t last long. I use this on Masi (and occasionally Enzo) when he doesn’t have an active skin infection though his allergies are still bothering him.

Ear Cleaner – Epi Otic from Virbac: This is my favorite ear cleaner and I’m so disappointed that it is no longer available. My biggest problem with ear cleaners is that they are either: too soapy or too smelly. EO is neither. It has a subtle “apple blossom” scent that despite it’s name isn’t annoying. It also persists for weeks after use. It’s also a drying solution, which is important if you are using after bathing. Ear cleaning recommendations can vary by species, size, hair length, etc. However, for my dogs who aren’t prone to ear infections, I find that using an ear cleaner/drying solution after I bathe them (a couple of times per month) is adequate. The drying aspect is most important for an ear cleaner because moisture in the ears is a big cause of ear infections. I use an ear cleaner (as opposed to cotton balls) to help prevent against ear infections caused by moisture retained from bathing. Not sure what I’ll do after I run out. Having gone through about 15 different ear cleaners for work, I haven’t found one that I like.

Zoom Groom – Enzo is a crazy-shedder. Most of his dog bath-time is me getting as much hair off of him as possible. The Zoom Groom is a new product to me and so far I’m really loving it. It isn’t as effective as the Furminator for removing his hair but it is more versatile and it isn’t ineffective by any means. It can be used wet or dry (though I’ve found that I like it more wet) and it doubles as a massaging product which the dogs seem to like.

The Routine

After getting them into the tub, I turn the water on to a tepid temperature. If you have a dog that has itchy, inflamed skin, cooler (as opposed to warm) water is best for them. This doesn’t mean cold. It just means tepid. I hit the stopper in the tub and while I wet them down, I let the tub fill to just cover their paws. I call this their ‘fancy paw-soaking time.’ Really, it’s just the only way I’ve found to get inbetween their paw pads clean without scrubbing them raw. Especially during the rainy season when mud cakes everywhere. This fancy paw soak has saved my life.

After I wet them down, I turn the water off (water conservation and it seems less stressful for them to not have to either be sprayed by errant bands of water from the shower head or have the faucet on full force. I’ve tried different methods for the soap, but what works best for me is to just squirt a line along their back. For medicated or really concentrated soaps, this may make it more difficult to rinse out but I think that since I’ve got a long massage time that I don’t really have an issue. I use the Zoom Groom and massage the soap around, applying more if needed for the undercarriage or legs. For Masi, this process is fairly quick. Enzo’s hair is longer and thicker so I massage with the Zoom Groom for longer. Both of them get foot scrubs and I usually spend a few minutes picking dirt and mud out of their paw pads. Mine are sensitive (as I imagine most are) and I will rotate feet if they act like they are uncomfortable.

If Masi is getting a medicated shampoo, I leave it on for 10 minutes. During this time I am massaging his feet or using the ZG to massage his body so that he doesn’t get too bored. I’ve found this works pretty well. I’ve heard of people with smaller dogs (who are using medicated shampoos), wrapping their dog in a towel and just carrying them around for 10 minutes while the shampoo does its magic. Whatever works.

Rinsing needs to be thorough but goes fast. I use the zoom groom for this too. Especially on Enzo because – that hair! – it’s just so thick.

The ear rinse is pretty much their least favorite part. So I try to be sneaky and use it when they least expect it. They love being dried off and I’ve toyed putting an old hair dryer in there because not only does it cut their dry time (still time consuming but much quicker than air-drying) but they love it.

Other Notes:

I’ve never had to use a non-slip pad in the tub. It’s kind of rough at the bottom anyway. However, I know that some dogs will benefit from being able to have that extra traction. So, if your dog “claws” or generally acts unstable, you might think about adding one for their comfort.

Enzo is getting older and as such I recognize that I can’t clean his feet as vigorously or hold his leg up to clean his feet for as long as I can Masi. Pay attention to your older guys. Some of their reluctance with the process might be discomfort in their joints.

I haven’t experimented with a ton of shampoos. I tend to stick with what I like. What I don’t like about some commercial shampoos that I have used is: difficult to get rinsed, the cloying smell, a general ‘meh’ performance. I recommended the above because of the overall functionality and attention to coat health that they display.

]]>http://WisePaws.com/734/dog-bath-time/feed/0Boarding Your Pethttp://WisePaws.com/712/boarding-your-pet/
http://WisePaws.com/712/boarding-your-pet/#respondTue, 12 Jan 2016 03:11:38 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=712Continue reading Boarding Your Pet]]>Boarding your pet – joy, stress, excitement, dread…everything all rolled into one. I’ve seen a lot of questions recently that arise from people who have certain expectations when they board their pet. These expectations, when unfulfilled create a less than desired experience. I believe most of these misconceptions happen because it is difficult to think of all the questions that you might need in order to determine if you know what you need. My experiences are centered around boarding facilities that are inside of veterinary clinics. However, many of these are valid questions of any boarding facility.

Luckily, I know all of the burning questions that you want to ask but weren’t sure about until now. Next time you board your pet, you’ll know exactly what you want to ask.

For Dogs:

How many times per day are the dogs given potty breaks? *Edited: After some consideration, I’m updating this to reflect three potty breaks per day as the minimum instead of two.

Can I have extra playtime for my dog? Let’s face it, there are some dogs who are so high energy, extra playtime is a must. This can be called different things, but it usually means for a small fee your dog will be let outside, played with or loved for a short time. I love kennels who offer this service. It says that they recognize that different dogs have different needs and they try to accommodate them.

What kind of food do you feed? Can I bring my own food? They should feed a high quality diet that’s formulated for being easy on the digestive system. Boarding any dog can cause stress and having a high quality diet to support this change of environment is essential. The best diets out there are going to be Science Diet Sensitive Stomach or Hill’s I/D, Purina EN or Royal Canin’s Digestive Low Fat. Feeding a premium diet to boarding patients isn’t cheap and the presence of such indicates a patient-centric focus. They should also always accept your own food. Many dogs have special dietary needs.

What happens if my dog gets sick while there? There are many advantages to boarding within a veterinary clinic. The main one is that if your pet gets sick while there, care is only down the hall. Most veterinary clinics with boarding facilities already have policies in place to address this. The most common of them are that the owner is attempted to be contacted before services are provided. If the owner is unable to be reached, minimal care is provided so that the pet is not suffering. If you are in any way uncomfortable with this process, ask for details or specifics. The various definitions of some of these words (such as minimal care, if the owner is unable to be reached) are up to the clinic’s interpretation. This is why it is doubly important to make sure that all contact information is current, working and you provide an alternate form of contact. In my experiences, this is one of the greatest areas of contention between a pet owner and the clinic. Rarely is the clinic out to take advantage of the client. Their focus is on the health of the pet. However, services performed are services performed and they cost money. To me, this is an acceptable trade given the convenience of having a doctor available. ** This is an important question to ask and understand of non-veterinary clinic boarding facilities.

Do you have 24 hour surveillance available for your boarding pets? Boarding pets are usually healthy pets. Keeping this in mind, you can have a great boarding facility that does not have any time of 24 hour services. Dogs are usually sleeping at night and as long as their other systems (cage security – both inside and out) are on point, this shouldn’t be an issue. Boarding facilities that do have some sort of 24 service get a gold star.

Do you let the dogs out together? While this might seem like an excellent service, take caution with these facilities. Allowing a service where dogs who don’t know each other can have playtime together is no small feat. That being said – this doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. Look for this service to either be provided to their regular day-boarding or known clients. Alternatively, if you must fill out a detailed behavior profile in addition to behavioral testing by one of their staff, this service being contingent on the results of this testing – this is a good sign. Having social time can be beneficial for many dogs, it just has to be done right.

Should a kennel always be able to fit me in? Frequently, this happens around the holidays. I’m always surprised when clients become angry. In my mind, this is a good thing. It means that we are sticking to our capacity limitations. We only have so many large runs, medium and small kennels. If we over-book ourselves we compromise the quality they are able to to provide. That being said, offering to put you on a wait-list and being polite about it is a must.

What areas of training does your staff have? At a minimum, kennel staff members should have basic behavior and restraint training. They should also know how to recognize symptoms of illness and know a variety of medicating techniques.

For Cats:

Are you sure about this?

Where do the cats board? Good boarding facilities will board cats where they cannot be stressed by excessive foot traffic or direct exposure to dogs.

What happens if my cat doesn’t eat? Cat owners know that when something stresses out their kitty, their appetite might be affected. If a cat goes too long without eating, they can become very sick. Make sure your boarding facility has a minimum time frame established before they will start alternative feeding measures. What are those measures? Usually introducing different flavors of food in different textures (canned if the cat eats dry and vise versa). Beyond that, they should consult with a veterinarian for direction.

General:

Can I have a tour? With few exceptions – the answer to this should always be yes. Good kennels are run in such a way that waste is cleaned up promptly and dogs are monitored throughout the day.

Hopefully, this will help you know what questions to ask so that you are as confident and comfortable as possible when leaving your pet for an extended stay. There are many more questions not on this list! If you think of any ‘musts,’ please let me know!

]]>http://WisePaws.com/712/boarding-your-pet/feed/0Selecting the Right Dog Toyhttp://WisePaws.com/700/selecting-the-right-toy/
http://WisePaws.com/700/selecting-the-right-toy/#commentsMon, 04 Jan 2016 04:37:14 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=700Continue reading Selecting the Right Dog Toy]]>Toys are an important part of owning a pet. Selecting the right dog toy is just as vital. They provide entertainment, enrichment and can contribute to dental health. Not all toys are created equal and more often than not, the toy is ignored or the other end of the spectrum – torn to bits. Here is my guide to selecting the right kind of toy for your pet.

For any of these toys, any time you introduce a new type to your pet, always monitor them before leaving them alone with it. Every pet is different and it’s always best to know before you come home to some sort of disaster.

Types

Chew Toys:

The purpose of a chew toy is pretty self explanatory (hint – to chew!) but many people don’t realize that the rope toy they bought does not make a good chew toy. What does?

Indestructible (as close as possible) – toys that can be ripped apart easily, are not considered chew toys (stuffed animals, rope toys, etc)

Firm (to withstand chewing) but not too hard! This is an important aspect of a chew toy because toys that are too hard can wear or break the teeth. A good test for a chew toy is to press your fingernail into it – it should have some give. It is for this reason that I don’t like nylon toys, cow bones, antlers, etc. This is especially true for dogs who are large, with powerful jaws. In fact, before I was properly educated, I suspect that Enzo’s broken upper fourth premolar (the large tooth in the very back of the mouth) was cracked because of a nylon toy. That extraction wasn’t fun for him or for my pocket book. There are too many good toys on the market to run the risk. Still not convinced? Dr. Marty Becker backs me up! Okay – not really me, just the notion that some toys are not appropriate for dogs to chew on.

I’ve mentioned it before, but Kong puts out a great rubber chew toy product. I won’t say that they are indestructible, as I’ve known some dogs of the pitbull variety who do tear them up, but I think they are one of the best on the market. I have two boxers and have had to replace their kong toys maybe once or twice in their life due to wear. I love that you can stuff them (so they double as an enrichment toy). They also come in many different varieties. *I did just notice that Kong has a deer antler advertised on their website. See my above notes on deer antlers for my opinion on them.

For any toy that is intended to be a chew toy, monitor the toy for signs of break down. These toys aren’t meant to be eaten. I knew I needed to replace my kong because there were cracks in the rubber where they frequently chewed.

Tug Toys:

Tug toys are not usually developed to be chew toys. Their purpose is to initiate a tug game between a dog and their person or two dogs. They come in all shapes and sizes but are most commonly found as threads forming a rope that’s wound into a bone shape.

Here’s where watching your dog with a new toy comes in handy. A lot of dogs (mine included) will start to chew on the loose end of the rope bone. With very little effort, they start to yank the threads loose. If a dog ingests a lot of these (say – being left alone for a day and chewing to their heart’s content), they can cause problems. I keep my tug toys stowed until I am around to make sure they don’t start chewing on them and instead, use them as intended.

Not all dogs enjoy tug toys. A lot of them do.

These need replacing more often than the chew toys. My dogs are avid tuggers and I’ve found that the rope knot gets gross with their slobber. I don’t know if washing will break it down faster. It’s just easier for me to buy a new one after a while. I’ve found that some of the rope toys are made better than others. If yours starts breaking down, just replace it.

** Use some caution with tug toys to help protect their teeth. Never jerk or yank the toy from your dog’s mouth. Never attempt to “lift them” off the ground with the toy.

Fetch Toys

Who doesn’t love a good game of fetch?! Just a person and their dog – connected by a brightly colored, well-loved toy.

Most fetch toys shouldn’t be used as chew toys. They aren’t made to be as durable. Since a good game of fetch is done with you, the toy that you use shouldn’t be left out unless you are around. I’ve lost many a tennis ball to an enterprising boxer deciding it should be shredded instead of thrown.

These can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Tennis balls, rubber toys shaped like sticks, frisbees, and for some smaller dogs – stuffed toys. It should be large enough for your dog’s mouth so that they don’t present a choking hazard when thrown (some dogs are very enthusiastic).

As much as I like to advocate for interaction with your pet, there are some very interesting devices out there for dogs who like to fetch. iFetch Pet Toy is one of them. I haven’t actually tried this out but I do know fetch-loving Goldens (like the one in the picture) who would love it. It isn’t cheap, but for dogs who will use it – it’s priceless.

Puzzle/Enrichment

Dogs benefit from games that make their minds work. These toys serve some purpose. Sometimes, supervision is required and sometimes, not. Kongs are considered enrichment/puzzle toys and are a good example of something that doesn’t usually need supervision.

The few that I’ve seen in pet stores are expensive (at least, to me). A while back, I did a search for homemade dog puzzle toys and was satisfied with the results. One of them had you get an old muffin pan. Crumble sheets of paper to place in the cups, place a treat under one of the crumbled papers, obscuring it. Let your dog sniff it out.

A lot of these puzzle toys require interaction. You can’t expect to set a puzzle down in front of your dog and expect them to just know what to do. It’s like putting a new game in front of you, without instructions, and expecting you to know what to do. Ease them into it. Maybe make it obvious at first (in the above example) and just put a treat in one of the cups without the paper. When they get the point of finding a treat in one of the cups, then you can progress.

This is a neat DIY toy.

Selecting a Toy

When selecting a toy, think about the purpose you want for it. Do you want something that your dog can do by himself? Do you want something travel-ready, a tried and true favorite? What about something that can bond you together? This will help you choose which toy is appropriate. If you are trying a type of toy for the first time, always supervise your dog first. Just like most things that involve pets, each pet is different and knowing the relationship your pet has with toys is the first step.

What breed do you have? Sometimes the type of toy can depend on the breed of dog that you have. The mighty Labrador Retriever would love to fetch for you all day long. They will need to fetch something durable and hardy like a tennis ball or rubber stick. They may not like a tiny stuffed toy that doesn’t really go anywhere when you throw it. Likewise, your dachshund may love to dig little stuffed squirrels out of their little stuffed cage and may look at you like you’re crazy when you throw a water toy into a lake and expect them to go and get it.

Squirrel!

List of inappropriate toys:

rawhides (not digestible – many better alternatives)

bones (of any kind – too hard and likewise not digestible)

antlers (too hard)

toys made of hard plastic (you know the kind, throw it wrong and it breaks something)

any toy that your dog chews into bits with or without supervision (you don’t want anything that could either be a choking risk or an obstruction risk)

Hopefully, this made it easier to select the right dog toy. Am I missing any type of toy? Do you agree with the above? Disagree? Let me know! I always welcome input.

]]>http://WisePaws.com/700/selecting-the-right-toy/feed/2Dog Parks – Kitty Hollow Parkhttp://WisePaws.com/680/dog-parks-kitty-hollow-park/
http://WisePaws.com/680/dog-parks-kitty-hollow-park/#respondSun, 27 Sep 2015 23:07:41 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=680Continue reading Dog Parks – Kitty Hollow Park]]>I always get a little excited when I plan a trip to a dog park with the boys. Doing something on a weekend morning is a frequent enough occurrence that Enzo is excited any morning that we sleep in. He wakes up instantly energized (okay, this isn’t atypical for him) and I can barely get him to go on his morning party break outside. Then, panting incessantly, he paces in the living room, staring at the closet door (where their harnesses are kept) until I oblige him. Masi always enjoys himself but he doesn’t near have the anticipatory reflexes that Enzo has.

Location: Kitty Hollow Park is located in Fort Bend County.

Here is the Google Map Link. The easiest way to get to the dog park is to take Kitty Hollow Park Drive. It’s an obvious entrance into a park and should be easy to find.

Entrance: There is a double-gated entry system, which is my fav. for safety reasons. There is not a separate entrance/exit. This did seem to make a little difference as dogs were trying to come and go.

Escape – Fence appears in good repair. Double gated entrance/exit system. No separate gates for entrance/exit makes for some confusion when there are multiple visitors at once.

Equipment – Meh, agility equipment doesn’t impress me. There is no other water source other than the swimming pond. I don’t love when my dogs drink pond water. With my background in veterinary medicine, I know that stagnant water can harbor intestinal parasites like Giardia. This wasn’t stagnant water (there were a couple of spout-things that helped to keep the water moving). You’re not going to stop a thirsty dog from drinking what’s available. However, I would (and did) bring an outside fresh water source so they have something clean to drink.

Notes:

Grounds are well maintained. Fort Bend takes pride in this park and this is evident through the general park grounds as well.

The bathing stations are set right in front of the entrance. Not a great location if you are trying to lead dogs in or out of the general area.

I couldn’t find the acreage listed for this dog park. However, knowing what I do about Tom Bass Park, both the small and large dog parks are several acres. It’s plenty big.
Alligators! Haha. I didn’t see any.General park grounds.Nice, large, fishing pond.Outside view of dog park.

Just as important as dog park etiquette is the dog park itself. It can be difficult to know until you take the effort to load the dogs up and pay them a visit, what a dog park is going to be like. Join me on my journey of discovering Houston’s dog parks to help make your decision easier.

Location: 3452 Fellows Rd, Houston, TX 77047 Tom Bass Park is located in Pearland, Texas. It is a little difficult to get to if you don’t know the area. The main entrance is located off of the access road of Beltway 8, just east of Hwy 288. Pearland has Tom Bass Park that is located off of Cullen (an exit off of Beltway 8, a few miles East of Hwy 288). The two parks only connect by a foot path. Here is a map layout of the park.

Entrance: Responsible dog parks are going to have an entrance pictured below. This is a double-gated system with an entrance and exit. The double-gating is important to decrease the chances of dog escape.

Safety: There are many things that a dog park can control to ensure a safe environment.

Escape – Double-gated entrances and separate entrance/exits are excellent ways to decrease escape. The fence along the park is in good repair. Each time I go, I check it. With such a large park, fence maintenance is a must.

Equipment – I’m interested to see where my dog park review journey takes me. Right now, there’s not a lot of equipment that I deem necessary in a dog park. This one has agility equipment that seems like an accident waiting to happen. Agility equipment requires training. This is left out to the elements. Luckily, the times I’ve been there, most people and dogs leave it alone.

Notes:

The grounds are kept well-maintained and mowed. The trash is taken out regularly enough and people clean up after their pets regularly.

When it rains, be prepared for a wet dog. The park gets swampy and it is impossible to keep them clear of the puddles. Otherwise, there is no separate area for dogs to swim.

This is a large park – large dog area: 4.1 acres, small dog area – 1.9 acres.

Nice walking grounds around the dog park itself.

Outside the entrance.

The dog park is just beyond the line of cars. Nice surrounding area.

I would recommend this dog park to anyone.

]]>http://WisePaws.com/660/dog-parks-tom-bass-park/feed/0Responsibility Biteshttp://WisePaws.com/646/responsibility-bites/
http://WisePaws.com/646/responsibility-bites/#respondFri, 05 Jun 2015 02:20:01 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=646Continue reading Responsibility Bites]]>Linked ahead is the horrific news story (with pictures) of the news story about a guy in New Charleston arrested on animal cruelty charges. He is charged with duct taping a dog’s muzzle closed. I almost can’t look at the picture. It seems like lately I’ve been more hyper aware of abandoned, abused and mistreated pets. From the cat with a note taped to her carrier and medications in a sealed bag on top, to a dog who was clearly someone’s pet running stray next door – this Spring has brought a rash of people who are throwing up their hands and declaring that, “Responsibility Bites! – let’s just get rid of it.” Or, that they didn’t like how the dog barked/licked/chewed on stuff – and decided to tape his muzzle shut. Granted, I don’t know the motivation behind the above horror, but I can only imagine the dumb excuse someone would have for making that decision.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love helping people understand their pets better. While I don’t always interject my expertise, I’m happy to give it when asked. I tend to try to give people the benefit of the doubt until proven wrong. “What? Your dog has Stage IV Dental Disease? I can assume that you didn’t know anything about dental care for your pet. Now, be a good owner and get your dog’s teeth cleaned and rectify the situation.” It is really difficult for me to empathize with people who just drop their pets off when they get inconvenient or don’t understand that a puppy chews and tears stuff up because they are teething – thus deciding to get rid of them. /rant

Since I’m such a fan of lists, here is another one to detail some basic thoughts that you should ask yourself before getting any pet.

1. Am I broke? I’m not going to get into the debate about whether or not people who don’t have any money to care for their pets should have a pet. However, if you know that you don’t have money to pay your bills or you are living paycheck to paycheck and you get a pet – that’s a pretty selfish move. Love isn’t enough to care for them and believe it or not – you might not be doing them any favors. I hate that it’s true, but you do need money to fulfill a step above their basic requirements.

2. Do I have time? I don’t care what kind of pet that you get, if you barely have enough time to eat breakfast in the morning and you aren’t getting home at night until midnight – you don’t need a pet. Contrary to popular belief, cats are not self-sufficient. Really – what’s the point? Pets are an investment. A hobby that deserves your time.

3. Am I about to undergo a large life-changing transition? You can’t plan for everything. I think most of us do what we can when we have pets and something happens in our lives to throw us a curve ball. However, if you don’t have a pet and you know that in the next year you are about to: get married, have a kid, change jobs, move to another house/apartment, etc. – you should probably just wait until after this life event to bring a pet into the mix. See my above statements about time. Pets should be an investment of your time and if you are needing to focus on something else entirely, you won’t be able to adequately introduce them into your home.

On PetFinder’s Top 10 Relinquishment List, they state a few of the reasons why pets are abandoned (I don’t want to use the word Relinquishment because it sounds too nice). Here are the top 3 for cats and dogs:

Cats– Too many pets, moving and allergies

Dogs – Moving, cost and landlord not allowing

The one’s I agree with more are house soiling (cats), no time (dogs), and illness (dogs). There is nothing on these lists that make me think abandoning that pet is the only option. If you look at some of these reasons, you can fit some of my reasons above into their solution.

Too many pets – If you are adequately evaluating your finances and your time with each pet acquisition, this should never come into play. I have two boxers. Would I love ten boxers? Um, yes. Can I care for ten boxers? Hell no.

Moving – I think that largely this one is a cop out. However, I might be considered “overly attached” or something. When I first got Murcie and then added Enzo, I made a pact with them. I knew that I wouldn’t be living in the house I was in longer than a handful of years. I didn’t get them for a temporary form of companionship. If I wasn’t willing to make some sort of sacrifice when I got them in preparation for moving into a new place in the future, I would have waited.

Allergies – There’s a lot of opinion about this one in the animal community. I don’t think that I’m quite in the ring of those who like to say, “I’d just get rid of my husband – haha.”. Due to the nature of allergies, you can’t always pick what you are allergic to. Do I think that you should take the time and money to try what you can (allergy testing

from www.livescience.com

for confirmation, cleaning regularly to help combat the allergens, etc) before getting rid of the pet? Absolutely. If for some reason nothing helps and the individual is literally miserable, put a little effort into it and actually find that pet a home. There is no excuse for dropping them off somewhere and leaving them because you don’t want to take responsibility for the discomfort it takes in finding a pet a new and loving home.

Cost – This one is self-explanatory. What? You didn’t realize that leaving your dog outside for hours on end means that it gets bored and digs out of your yard, thus resulting in injuries that require a veterinary bill? Are you surprised when your cat scratches up your furniture because you leave him for hours on end and he’s bored out of his little kind mind? I don’t feel sorry for you. Pets can be destructive when you don’t put enough effort into the relationship. Chewed door frames, scratched and destroyed floors, or shredded carpet are not reasons to get rid of a pet that you aren’t taking care of. These are considerations that should be taken into account before you bring the pet home.

Medical Issues – I don’t really know what to say here either. This one falls under cost and time. Cost because of the obvious. You can’t plan for everything, but you should have some sort of cushion to fall back on when something unexpected happens. For time – you should be invested in your pet’s health. If your cat stays outside most of the time and you only really see her in once or twice a week, you might not notice that she got into a fight with another cat and has a giant abscess growing. My thoughts on having any pet predominantly outdoors is another discussion. The point is, that you should be actively involved with your pet and follow routine veterinary recommendations to ensure they stay as healthy as possible.

Conclusion

If this article sounds bitter, that’s only an accurate description. Working in the animal field, it’s hard enough to watch when a pet develops an illness that they don’t recover from. It’s even harder to see pets that aren’t taken care of properly or who are abandoned or abused – all because their owners didn’t think.

Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, what better way to spend it than spoiling your pets. Who needs fancy chocolates, vibrant roses or sappy cards when you have a pair of big brown eyes looking up at you.

Homemade Toys

There are tons of websites out there that show you how to turn everyday items into homemade toys. The only kicker with a lot of these is that they aren’t really made for longevity and I would make sure you didn’t leave your dog alone with these toys just in case they aren’t as hardy as you imagined them.

Cats are even easier because all they usually need is something to stimulate their hunter instincts. The most important thing is that you’re interacting with them. It’s no fun to play by yourself.

Fresh Treats

Even though there are tons of homemade treat recipes for your pet out there, I’m going to do you one easier. There are some simple ingredients that you buy that make good, healthy treats all on their own. Sweet potatoes cut into slices, fully cooked, unseasoned chicken breast and baby carrots all make great individual treats. Steaming the carrots can make them more palatable (make sure they are cool enough before feeding!), and baking the sweet potato on a cookie sheet until tender can do the same.

Cats can be even more simple. Pop open a can of tuna (no additives and in water, not oil) or salmon (same as the tuna) for an instant treat. Popping it into the microwave for 10-15 seconds can make it even more appetizing.

Spoiling your pet was never so easy!

*If your pet is on a specific veterinarian-approved diet, do not introduce treats without their consent. Most pets tolerate the above mentioned treats, but like people, pets can be just as individual.

Exercise

Hopefully your Valentine’s Day will be full of sunshine and mild weather. I’ll be asking for pictures of happy V-Day pets on Saturday. There’s nothing more gratifying than a happy, tongue-lolling doggy.

Cats can be tricky, but using feather-wand toys or laser light pointers can encourage exercise.

from curiousamerica.com

Pampering

If your dog doesn’t hate baths you can make them even more enjoyable with a few handy tips. For dogs that don’t have previous skin irritations (tepid water is best for them), warm the water a degree or two more than tepid. Fancy shampoos and colognes don’t really appeal to our pets, so something mild and oatmeal based is best. I love hylyt shampoo. It’s soap-free and hypoallergenic. Take time to massage the shampoo into the coat and enjoy the contact with your pooch. I even let the tub fill up to cover their paws to give them a soak. It’s amazing what kind of nasties hide in those little folds and crannies.

Cats are a bit more unique (coughcoughdifficultcoughcough). For those than enjoy it, a leisurely brush-out can be a productive type of pampering.

***

Any way that you slice it, putting your pets first isn’t ever a bad idea. Lets change the way we see Valentine’s Day! Weird chubby-winged-baby, who? Want to share your pet pampering ideas? Tag your ideas to #petpampering on Saturday, I’ll RT the best ones!

]]>http://WisePaws.com/636/spoiling-pet/feed/0Holiday Stresseshttp://WisePaws.com/622/holiday-stresses/
http://WisePaws.com/622/holiday-stresses/#commentsFri, 19 Dec 2014 03:36:07 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=622Continue reading Holiday Stresses]]>If there’s one thing that I noticed when browsing through pages, it’s that there is a lot of information on what to make sure your pet -doesn’t- get into during the holidays. Chocolate, tinsel (who uses -that- anymore?!), poinsettias, and the list goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong, these lists are important. There’s just something missing that I feel the need to touch on as I approach my own holiday traveling plans.

Stress

This is such a small word but it has such large implications. Let me give you an example. Enzo, my “dark knight” brindle boxer is a ham. He loves seeing family, playing with the other dogs and being my shadow. He loves all of these things so much that he sometimes forgets to eat when we’re staying with family. There’s just too much going on. I have to make specific time to isolate him and encourage him to eat.

Traveling with dogs is fairly common. Sticking to their routines as closely as possible is best. This means that if you typically exercise them once per day, you should stick to this, bump it up if you can. Even sedentary pets will benefit from a nice walk or run.

The level of stress your pet will experience while traveling is directly related to how accustomed he is to it. If you suddenly decide to take your 10 year old Yorkie to visit the relatives in a 5 hour car ride, you are asking for trouble. I know that this won’t necessarily stop someone from traveling (know any good boarding facilities?) but it should at least give you pause. Consider how the little guy is feeling.

Here is my ‘Travelers Checklist’:

– Appropriately portioned out food (I don’t care if you have to put them in little baggies, don’t run out of food and have to run to the store to get a sub-par bag, that’ll give you a one way ticket to Upset Tummy Town.

– Vaccine information: this is vital information! Many clinics have ways you can access this information online (which is fabulous), either way it goes, it’s one of those things that you don’t typically think of until you need, and when you need it, it’s usually the wrong time. Your veterinarian can usually print, fax or email your records anywhere you need them to go.

– Proper identification: If your pets aren’t microchipped, go out get them microchipped! They are cheap enough now that no one should have any excuses. If you are leaving tomorrow and just “don’t have time…” make sure that your pet is fitted with a snug (meaning, you can easily slide your fingers underneath but not pull it away from the neck) fitting collar with tags – I don’t want to see collars that slip easily over the dog’s head. You can get tags in 15 minutes at Petco/Petsmart. I would keep it simple and put the dog’s name and your phone number. This collar should stay on the dog at all times.

– Bedding: This may seem like a small thing, but dogs take comfort in familiarity. Plus, it’s nice to have somewhere for your dog to go if needed. Crates make acceptable (and even recommended) bedding.

Not travelling? There’s plenty of things to consider if you are having family over to your house for the holidays.

Know your pet. This can be your cat, dog, bird, or ferret – know their limits. If you don’t have social pets, introducing 13 new people randomly one evening isn’t going to make them one. If your dog has never been around kids, don’t let the kids play with it. I don’t think there’s any excuse for a dog to bite a person. There’s even less excuse when you put a nervous, anti-social dog in a room with screaming/crying/laughing/bouncing kids. I’d bite someone too. Don’t drag Scared Kitty out from under the bed just to show Aunt Nana who has nine cats of her own. Cats don’t care anything for “cat people.” Especially when you have to drag them out from under their safe zone to introduce them.

from warondiabetes.org

If your pet is social, great! They will probably love having 20 different hands to love them for four hours straight. Even social pets can get stressed with a lot of people. Mostly because they aren’t sure what to do with themselves (my theory). If they got tired before, they’d go lay down in the middle of the carpet and take a nap. Now, there are five people walking across the carpet every two minutes and more sounds than they know what to do with. What does this mean? Give them nap time. Put them in a place (room/area/crate/outside) that they can be comfortable in. The caveat to this is that a lot of pets don’t love the idea of being take away from all the action. They become more stressed as suddenly they are being secluded away and “forgotten.” For pets that don’t just fall asleep after a while, create a “safe place” next to where ever you are sitting by dragging their bed over and making them lay down in it. It isn’t the most ideal place, but at least they can have someone watching out for them while they calm down for a bit.

The holidays are a time of indulgence. Cakes, cookies, pies, and so many other sweet things. Whatever your views on feeding people food to your pets, keep a tight lid on it (and spread the word) during the holidays. If your guests come in thinking that “my food is your food,” you could be in for a surprise (trip to the Vet. EC!). With the copious lists of holiday dangers, letting everyone know that Fido is on a diet, could save you a lot of hassle later.

Human Tips

Yup – here it comes. We need a good dose of common sense every now and again too. If you invite people over to your house, don’t expect all of them to love your pet. It just isn’t fair. If you expect to have a holiday party full of mixed sorts of company, you can’t complain if you run across someone who doesn’t want to give Little LuLu the time of day. Having a dog loose in a house with guests is like having a child. You need to keep an eye on them the entire time. If they don’t have manners, make sure they don’t get up in people’s faces, surprise people at the door, try to snatch that brownie out of Nana’s hand, or any other pesky thing that seems cute when it’s just the two of you. This is just common courtesy.

]]>http://WisePaws.com/622/holiday-stresses/feed/1Dog Rescue – A Personal Point of Viewhttp://WisePaws.com/599/dog-rescue-personal-point-view/
http://WisePaws.com/599/dog-rescue-personal-point-view/#commentsFri, 23 May 2014 01:00:33 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=599Continue reading Dog Rescue – A Personal Point of View]]>Large, dark and hopeful eyes watched me. I couldn’t move without that gaze following my every step. He is sweet to the point of making you feel claustrophobic, which is a challenge to correct because any voice louder than normal talking sets about submissive urination. I want to let you in on what kind of perspective adopting a dog has given me.
Masi on the ride home from his foster.

We named him Maserati (Masi, for short) and he is our new rescue boxer. Deemed about a year old from our veterinarian, by the time we got him, the physical manifestations of his life as a stray were just a ghost of hair loss along his coat. He isn’t as bad off mentally as I know stray dogs can get, but based on his reactions to certain things, someone somewhere treated this sweet boy badly. I didn’t know his history, it was impossible to – but I found myself imagining what situations he was put into that created the reactions I saw in him.

Odd things make him jump and cause the urination to begin. Things like, trying to shoo him away from our other dog’s food bowl when he starts to eat it instead of his own, it happened once or twice when he was inadvertently trapped with nowhere to go while we were loving on him, or when one of us got home from being gone and tried to greet him, and he urinated when I scolded him when he stuck his nose into the trash. He seems to watch us for our reactions to his behavior. While this doesn’t affect how he acts (he was still motivated to stick his nose in the trash if I looked away from him), overall he seems attention starved. He follows us around constantly, head resting against your leg, nose bumping your hand, all for whatever reward it gets him (with the goal being an ear scratch or a belly rub).

Trying to see things from his point of view – I saw a little bouncing, energetic boxer puppy that someone didn’t want to deal with. Sometimes they gave him love, but sometimes they punished him for reasons he never understood. He did the normal things that a puppy liked to do – chew things, pee in places and generally act like a wild child. I pictured him spending a lot of his time outside when impatient parents didn’t want to deal with his antics. Either he got into so much mischief that he was dumped somewhere or – the more likely reason, he got out of his yard and never looked back.

Eager to get him acclimated to our routine, I wasted no time in taking him on a walk. This was something that every dog I’ve ever known has loved. Masi went along with it, but for the first couple of walks, never acted like he enjoyed them. While Enzo was his usual self, weaving a path for us, sniffing anything worth putting his nose on and stopping to pee on everything else, Masi was more reserved. His ears stayed flat against his head and he never wondered what his new older brother found so interesting. He never peed, on anything or otherwise. When we would encounter anything, from a passing car to a jogging couple, he would watch them, body tense.

This made more sense to me since a dog on the street never knew if what he encountered was going to cause him pain or not and he wouldn’t understand that non-stray dogs went on walks for enrichment, safely regulated through their harness and leash.

Almost three weeks into his time with us and I can already see improvements. We’ve noted some consistency with when he submissively urinates and learned how to mostly counter this, working on a week without an incident. He still craves attention, but he is getting easier and easier to distract from this, until we are ready for it. He is more engaged in his walks, actually attempting to keep up with Enzo, trotting beside him instead of falling behind me in a depressed manner.

As I sit here, finishing this article, watching his steady breathing as he lays beside me, I’m struck with a sense of gratefulness. I’m grateful that I was able to rescue him. Grateful that he won’t ever have to forage in a trash can for a meal, that he won’t ever wonder if that person coming toward him is going to hit him or love him, grateful that for the rest of his life, he’ll only know love, treats, play, exercise and companionship in abundance. I can see why people get addicted to rescuing. In every neglected, abused and forgotten stray, there’s a sparkling personality waiting and wanting to show itself.

I would also like to take a moment to express how great my experiences have been with the Houston Boxer Rescue. Even though I volunteer with them, I am constantly impressed with the integrity that they have built the foundation for the rescue on. HBR is a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about finding homes for their favorite breed. They are committed to finding the right home for each dog, and I’ve found their application process thorough without being prohibitive. Anyone should be so lucky to be able to deal with a rescue so equipped to help out such a large number of dogs in need.

Want to learn a little more about Maserati’s back story and see his progress on how he’s fitting in? See his personal page!

]]>http://WisePaws.com/599/dog-rescue-personal-point-view/feed/2Bomb Sniffing Dogshttp://WisePaws.com/576/bomb-sniffing-dogs/
http://WisePaws.com/576/bomb-sniffing-dogs/#respondWed, 07 Aug 2013 02:45:14 +0000http://WisePaws.com/?p=576Continue reading Bomb Sniffing Dogs]]>I recently read an article put out by www.smithsonian.com on bomb sniffing dogs. Holy cow was it an interesting read! It detailed what they had to go through for training and what was expected of them. I always view service dogs of any kind with a type of reverence. Even though these dogs have no clue what we’re putting them through, that little detail seems almost irrelevant. These dogs lead what I consider the ideal type of existence for a dog. They have the training to know what is expected of them (in general – not just bomb/drug/police specific) and they also have a job to do, a purpose. If I could take my dog to work with me everyday, helping me with anything and everything, I know that this would enrich his existence all the more.
from www.smithsonian.com

It didn’t go into a lot of detail about their training, just mentioning that they (obviously) needed to be taught where to sniff. Such as along seams (of luggage) and underneath pallets etc. They line up over a hundred identical cans and scatter the “target” scents into various cans. They use positive reinforcement (which I love). I thought it was interesting to note that they don’t actually smell a bomb. They “pick out certain culprit chemicals they have been trained to detect.” This makes sense to me. There are certain ingredients that make up a bomb, identify some of the key components and you have what you need. They are trained to lay down when they scent something suspicious, which makes more sense than barking. Much better to train them to do something subtle and low-stress versus something loud and attention-grabbing.

They are trained at MSA Security which is in Hartford, Connecticut. It is an elite academy that trains dogs. They typically work with their handler for 8 or 9 years. I browsed their website. They seem pretty legit. They’ve been certified by the Department of Homeland Security. They don’t kennel their dogs, and they only have one handler. Apparently they retain ownership of the dog. I suppose that I assumed whatever policing agency using the dogs has a specific person who “handles” the dog. All of their handlers also have certain types of training. The article quotes one of the lead trainers of the academy as they talk about how a dog’s nose works, “When you walk into a kitchen where someone is cooking spaghetti sauce, your nose says aha, spaghetti sauce. A dog’s nose doesn’t say that. Instinctively, it says tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, onion, and oregano.” It also goes on to mention that a while a human might be able to pick out the scent of sugar in a cup of coffee, a dog’s nose could detect a teaspoon in a million gallons of water (which equal about 2 Olympic-sized swimming pools). I love analogy’s like this because they evoke a clear picture of how sensitive a dog’s nose really is. Anatomically, a dog’s nose makes up the area from the nostrils to the back of the throat.

These dogs don’t start out at MSA Security. They go to a “puppy kindergarden” called Puppies Behind Bars. A nonprofit program that started out using inmates to train dogs for the blind. They have graduated 528 working dogs, most of them explosive detective dogs.

I feel like German Shepards are the most common types of service dogs. They mention that the best breeds for bomb sniffing are German Shepards, Belgian Malinoise, and Laborador Retrievers. They’ve done their homework on the different breeds that would be best for the job as the article goes into a few other breeds and what challenges they have when training for this type of an occupation.

from www.smithsonian.com

Bomb dogs predictably made a comeback after 9/11, though they were used before. There are no national mandatory guidelines regarding how exactly a bomb dog needs to be trained. However, different agencies that utilize these dogs have their own set of standards. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 working dogs out there sniffing it up. The majority of these are used for narcotics.

These dogs typically go for a cool $100 or more an hour and I have no idea what this includes. From the look of the website, you can hire these dogs out for different reasons. They sited different businesses that might do so, like banks and schools and such.

The last part of the article talked about the stress disorders that have been identified in some of these dogs who are working in war zones. This makes complete sense to me. Having seen dogs with anxiety and compulsive issues, it doesn’t surprise me at all that a dog working in a high stress (super-high stress) environment would undergo some sort of behavioral changes based on this. They said that in 2007, army veterinarians started identifying dogs that showed signs of what they later would call Canine PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). The symptoms could be anything from shutting down to being hypersensitive or jumpy. They would become over-responsive to sighs or sounds or become hyper-vigilant. This type of thing isn’t an “exact science.” The numbers seem to be climbing 5-10% of dogs on front-line situations are showing symptoms. If it is caught early, something around half can be treated and returned to active duty. The rest have to go into early retirement. I’d love to learn more about long-term affects that these dogs suffer. Do they continue to show symptoms after being retired like people do? Dogs are so resilient. I love the idea of them being able to help us in this capacity and I hate the idea that we are giving them some sort of lasting problems. I’ll have to do more reading up on this subject.

from www.smithsonian.com

Read the full article here. All the quotes are from the article. All the information is either from the article or from the MSA Security website.